Vegetarian Black Bean Chili

This recipe comes from Epicurious — I made it for a soup kitchen and the synagogue, and it was a huge hit both places. The key seemed to be cooking it for a really long time.

Some recipes demand to be followed to the letter, while others are open to interpretation. This black bean chili recipe is definitively the latter. It’s delicious as is, but the genius of this cozy dish lies in its (almost) infinite adaptability. Do you love jalapeños? Add a few! Prefer pinto beans over black beans? Go wild! Are you warding off vampires? Add more cloves garlic—and godspeed to you. Others have added vegetarian “meat” crumbles, bacon, ground turkey, bison, corn, and green chiles.

A few tricks make this hearty weeknight recipe great. First, plenty of peppers and onions add sweetness and complexity, while sautéing the chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne allows the flavors to build. A can of tomato sauce provides concentrated tomato flavor, which minimizes simmering time. Of course, the real fun of chili comes from piling on your favorite toppings. This recipe offers plenty of options, but once again, don’t let it limit you—crumbled tortilla chips, diced raw onion, and cheddar cheese are always a big hit.

Chef Robyn Fuoco came up with this recipe to make the most of her well-stocked pantry, and chances are, you already have most of these ingredients on hand. Serve this chili with cornbread, over mac and cheese, or poured onto baked potatoes or sweet potatoes. It’s your recipe now: Go wild.

4 servings

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)

2 medium red bell peppers, chopped (about 1⅔ cups)

2 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. dried oregano

1½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

3 15-oz. cans black beans, drained, ½ cup liquid reserved

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Grated Monterey Jack, sour cream, chopped cilantro, and chopped scallions (for serving, optional)

Step 1

Heat ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Add 6 garlic cloves, chopped, 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups), and 2 medium red bell peppers, chopped (about 1⅔ cups) and cook until onions are softened, 8–10 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. chili powder, 2 tsp. dried oregano, 1½ tsp. ground cumin, and ½ tsp. cayenne pepper; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Step 2

Add three 15-oz. cans black beans, drained, ½ cup bean liquid, and one 15-oz. can tomato sauce; stir to combine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded and chili is thickened, 15–20 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Step 3

Divide chili among bowls. Top with grated Monterey Jack, sour cream, chopped cilantro, and chopped scallions if using.

Rosemary Almond Shortbreads

 I got this recipe from the Fishing Creek Herb Guild and the Barton House Garden Committee, which hosted a tea party at the Barton House on Sunday, Aug, 2, 2015.

My early music group, the Bloomsburg Early Music Ensemble, played.  And I got this recipe for rosemary almond shortbread, which immediately became one of my favorites!

This will make about 30 small cookies. I think one serving is about 4 cookies.

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C confectioner's sugar, plus additional for rolling

1 C flour

1 Tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 C almonds, crushed

1/4 tsp almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugar.

3. Add flour, rosemary, almonds and extract.

4. Roll dough into small balls, bigger than a marble, but smaller than a golf ball.

5. Roll the balls in more sugar.

6. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets, then press them to about 1/4 inch thick with the bottom of a glass.

7. Bake 12 minutes. Some folks like to let them brown a little, but I like them better when they stay pale. They're from Scotland, after all, not exactly the home of golden tans.

8. Let them cool.  They'll harden up.

Variation: Use lavender, lemon extract and macadamia nuts.

Butternut Squash Curry with Chickpeas

 Credit for this one goes to Rainbow Plant Life, by way of Grace and Akiva Blickstein, who made it for our synagogue.

It's so delicious, even Leon ate it - and he hates squash!

Ingredients:

• ▢1 1/2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil (use refined for a neutral taste, or a neutral oil of choice)
• ▢1 large onion, diced
• ▢2 medium carrots, diced
• ▢Kosher salt to taste
• ▢4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢2- inch piece ginger, grated or finely minced*
• ▢1-3 bird's eye chili peppers, thinly sliced (optional; only use for spicy!)**
• ▢2 stalks fresh lemongrass, minced or grated (optional but recommended)***
• ▢5 tablespoons red curry paste (see Notes below on spiciness level and brands)****
• ▢1 (13.5-ounce) (400 mL) can full-fat coconut milk
• ▢1 cup (240 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
• ▢5 cups (700-730g) of peeled and cubed butternut squash (~ 2.5 pound butternut squash)
• ▢2 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce (or 1 tablespoon Thai Light Soy Sauce)*****
• ▢1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or pure maple syrup)
• ▢2 15-ounce (425g) cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ▢4 cups (60g) baby spinach or baby kale (about 4 large handfuls)
• ▢1 tablespoon lime juice or rice vinegar
• ▢1 large handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• ▢1 handful Thai basil leaves
• ▢White rice or brown rice (for serving, optional)
  
  
• • Heat a Dutch oven or a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil, and once shimmering, add the onions and carrots along with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook the vegetables for 7-8 minutes, or until they are tender and lightly browned.
  • Add the garlic, ginger, chili peppers (if using), lemongrass (if using), and red curry paste, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to coat the vegetables & prevent burning. If not using a nonstick pan, you'll likely need to add a tablespoon or two of water to prevent the mixture from drying out, sticking, and burning.
  • Pour in a couple spoons of the coconut milk and allow it to bubble for a minute, stirring well. Add the vegetable broth, stirring with a spatula to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Pour in the remaining coconut milk, cubed squash, soy sauce, and coconut sugar, stirring to combine.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low or medium-low to maintain a rapid simmer for 20 minutes, or until the squash is tender and cooked through.

    Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend roughly half of the curry. Make sure to leave some chunks of squash intact.

    Alternatively, transfer half of the curry to a stand blender. Blend until the mixture is puréed and mostly smooth, then return it to the pan and stir to combine.
  • Stir in the chickpeas and bring the curry to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, stir in the baby spinach or kale, stirring until the greens have wilted.
  • Turn off the heat, and stir in the lime juice or rice vinegar. Taste for seasonings, adding salt as needed. Tear the Thai basil leaves to release their oils; add them to the curry, along with the chopped cilantro.
  • Serve the curry over rice. Garnish with additional cilantro or Thai basil as desired.

  NOTES

  * Traditionally, galangal is used instead of ginger in Thai curries. If it’s , feel free to use galangal instead. 

  ** Use bird’s eye chili peppers only if you like spicy food. My personal preference is to use 3 of them, but I like my food spicier than most of my readers. For most, start with 1 pepper. If not available, use 1 serrano pepper.

  *** You need to peel several layers of lemongrass, then use only the tender, inner white bulb at the bottom. For tips on how to peel/cut lemongrass, watch the Youtube video starting at the 3:09 mark. 

  **** There is variability in spiciness across curry paste brands. The best Thai curry paste that’s vegan is Maesri, which is spicier than, say, the Thai Kitchen, brand. For a spicy version, I use 5 tbsp Thai Kitchen paste. 

  ***** Thai Soy Sauce, aka Thin Soy Sauce or Light Soy Sauce, can be found at Southeast Asian grocery stores. It is much saltier than a standard grocery store soy sauce (e.g., Kikkoman). If using the latter, use 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons. If using reduced-sodium soy sauce, use 2 1/2 tablespoons. To keep this recipe gluten-free, use tamari. 
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Ken's Whole Wheat Honey Challah

Ken Druckenmiller has so many talents, he's like a fictional character: A former Marine who is also a talented botanist who raises orchids, a farmer with his own chickens, a gardener, a carpenter and a clock repairman.  When he joined Beth Israel Congregation, we made leaps forward, with a new roof, HVAC system and security system.  Plus he finally got rid of the mold in the basement community room we'd battled for years.

He is also the grandson of a baker, and has literally invented challah recipes, including a combination challah/chocolate babka recipe to die for.  

This is his wheat-honey challah.  It's one of my favorites - a bit healthier than the sweeter version, and very tasty.

Ingredients

• 2 ½  teaspoons active dry yeast (or regular yeast, just allow more time)

• 2 ⅛ cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

• 1 cup bread flour

• ⅓ cup vegetable oil

• ⅓ cup honey, or more to taste

• You can add other spices for a different flavor, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, malepi etc

• 3 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 cups bread flour, or more if needed

• 3 cups whole wheat flour, or more if needed

• See note if you want to add raisins or currants

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon water

• 1 teaspoon honey

• ¼ cup sesame seeds, or poppy, or oats, or bulgur wheat soaked or any topping you want

Directions

In a large bowl, mix yeast, warm water and 1 cup of bread flour into a thin batter, and let stand until the mixture shows frothy bubbles, about 10 minutes. Stir in vegetable oil, honey, 3 eggs, and salt until well combined. Beat in 2 more cups of bread flour and the whole wheat flour, alternating flours by cupfuls, until the dough is too stiff to stir in more flour. Add raisins now if using.

Note: If you want to add raisins or any other dried fruit, soak them in boiling water for 15-30 minutes first, then drain well and dust them in flour. It will keep them from sticking together. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour if needed to form a slightly sticky dough. Form the dough into a round shape. Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn the dough over a few times to oil the surface. Cover the bowl with a plastic bag, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.

Punch down the dough, knead it a few times to remove some of the bubbles, and cut it into 3 equal-sized pieces. Cut the first piece into 3 equal parts. Set the rest of the dough aside under a cloth to prevent drying out while you braid the first loaf.

Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Repeat for the other 2 loaves, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let rise until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water and 1 teaspoon of honey in a small bowl, and brush the egg mixture over the braided challah loaves. Do not throw it away, see next note. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Check the bread at 15-20 minutes and brush the white seams that appear while the bread expands, you can add more of your topping to make the finished product look better,

Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are a deep golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 30-40 minutes until the internal temp hits 185-195, do not let them get over 200, they will be very dry if that happens.